PREVIEW – GAME #6 Canadiens at Ottawa (Jan. 30/2012)

……The Canadiens earned at least a point in each of the six meetings between the teams last season-four wins and a loss in overtime and shootout.

…….Ottawa has lost eight of its past 12 against Montreal, including four of the last six played at home. The Canadiens have gone nine consecutive games without losing to Ottawa in regulation time. The last time the Senators beat the Canadiens in regulation time was a 3-2 victory Nov. 6, 2010 at the Bell Centre. Alex Kovalev’s second goal of the game was the game winner.

……The Canadiens opened last season 1-5-2 and never recovered, finishing last in the Eastern Conference. This season they are 5-1-0 and are fifth in the Eastern Conference one point behind the Senators.

…..The Canadiens are 8-1-3 against the Senators over the last two seasons, 4-0-2 at Scotiabank Place.

…..The Canadiens have blown two goal leads in each of their last two games. Against New Jersey Sunday they won 4-3 in overtime.

…..The Canadiens converted two of five power play chances Tuesday. They are now operating at a 31 percent success ratio. converting 8 of 27 chances. Of the 17 total goals scored by the Canadiens, eight have been on the power play.

…..Andrei Markov has picked up a point on seven of the Canadiens eight power play goals.

…..Markov has nine points in his past 12 visits to Scotiabank Place, but hasn’t appeared there since an overtime loss Jan. 30, 2010.

…..Tomas Plekanec has 18 points in the last 17 meetings with the Senators. 12 points in nine games in Ottawa.

……Raphael Diaz recorded 13 assists in 59 games as a rookie last season including a career-high three assists in the 6-2 win at Ottawa December 27th, 2011. Already he has seven assists in five games this season.

…..Carey Price will get his season’s first night off despite a 1.61 goals-against average and .950 save percentage against the Senators in six games last season. Peter Budaj will get the start in the back half of back-to-back games.

…..The Senators have given up the first goal in five of six games; the other was a shutout.

……Craig Anderson is 4-0-1, with a 0.98 GAA and a league-leading .967 save percentage this season. Last season he was 1-3 with a 3.48 GAA and .879 save percentage against Montreal last season.

…… David Desharnais has two shots on goal all season. Both of them came in the game against Florida. He has attempted a total of six shots in five games. The other four missed the net.

……Montreal has not allowed an even-strength, first-period goal so far this season.

…….Alexander Galchenyuk has a goal and four assists in five games. Brendan Gallagher has logged two goals and two assists in four games.

…….Jason Spezza’s 28 goals in 50 games against the Canadians are a career high against any opponent. His 59 points rank second to his 62 versus Buffalo. He has 16 goals and 16 assists in 23 career home games against the Habs.

Season Series: This is the first meeting; the teams play again Sunday afternoon at the Bell Centre.

Last Season – The Canadiens were 4-0-2. @Scotiabank Place Nov. 4/2011 Canadiens-2 Ottawa-1 . Erik Cole and Andrei Kostitsyn scored three minutes apart in the second period. Carey Price stopped 33 shots. Zack Smith scored shorthanded for Ottawa. @Scotiabank Place – Dec. 27/2011 – Canadiens-6 Ottawa-2. Randy Cunneyworth’s first win as an NHL coach. The Canadiens gave up a goal in the second minute of their game in Ottawa and then roared back with five in a row en route to their 6-2 win over the Senators. Lars Eller with a shorthanded goal plus Plekanec, Cammalleri, Leblanc, Subban and Cole. Zack Smith and Jason Spezza scored for Ottawa, who outshot the Candiiens 35-28 @Bell Centre Jan. 14/2012 – Ottawa-3 Canadiens-2 (shootout) . Daniel Alfredsson scored the only goal in the shootout. Max Pacioretty scored with 38.9 seconds remaining in regulation time with Carey Price on the bench for the extra attacker. All of the scoring took place in the third period. Tomas Plekanec scored a shorthand goal followed by goals from Kyle Turris and Jason Spezza. The Canadiens outshot the Senators 35-25. @Bell Centre Mar. 14/2012 – Canadiens-3 Ottawa-2 (shootout) – David Desharnais scored in the second round and Daniel Alfredsson was stopped for the first time in a shootout last season to ensure the win.. Erik Cole and David Desharnais scored the goals in regulation time for Montreal; Colin Greening and Erik Karlsson for Ottawa. Ottawa outshot the Canadiens 37-26. @Scotiabank Place Mar. 16/2-12 Ottawa-3 Canadiens-2 (overtime). Plekanec gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead. Colin Greening tied it early in the third period. Filip Kuba scored in overtime. Canadiens block 25 Ottawa shots, 10 by Josh Gorges. @Bell Centre Mar.23- Canadiens-5 Ottawa-1 – Three goals were reviewed, two of them disallowed. Two fights. A total of 144 minutes in penalties, the lions share going to Ottawa. A game total of eight misconducts and 12 roughing minors. The game took just short of three hours to play. The score was 4-0 before the game was ten minutes old. Erik Cole scored on his first, third and fourth shifts of the game. Craig Anderson in goal vs. Carey Price.

Last Time Out – Canadiens blew a 2-0 lead but came back to edge Winnipeg 4-3 Tuesday. Ottawa ended a two game losing streak edging Washington 3-2 at home Tuesday, scoring all three goals in the game’s final 22 minutes..

Who’s hot: Canadiens – Markov has at least a point in four straight games, and three game-winning goals. He has four goals and three assists in his past four games. Ottawa – FWD Milan Michalek has one point in every game 2 goals and 4 assists. … Kyle Turris had four goals in the first five games.